25 Days of Creddie
by exceptiontotherules
Summary: As the snow falls and the mercury drops, the heat between Carly and Freddie is increasing. Find out how random moments between the two lead to something more.
1. December 1st

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 25th!**

December 1st - First Snow

(Carly POV)

The first of December is already here. It seems like just yesterday I was packing my bag for the start of 10th grade. Now, I'm sitting on this bench outside of school with Freddie, waiting for Spencer to come. It's been kind of awkward between us lately... ever since that dance... and that was 66 days ago. Yeah, I counted. That was one of the moments that lingers in your mind, a moment that will haunt me until I figure my feelings out. Just last week, I just denied one of Freddie's "casual yet desperate" attempts to capture my heart. I began contemplating this situation, then he broke the strange silence between us.

"Hey, it's snowing." I looked up to see that he was right. Pure white flakes were falling gently onto the frozen ground below.

I had to smile, "The first snow of the season. This is something I've looked forward to every year since I could walk. It's so magical, so peaceful."

"I know what you mean. It's like one of those sappy Hallmark movies, only not so ridiculous." That's one of our Christmas traditions. Watching the Hallmark Channel, mocking it, and drinking cocoa on Saturday afternoons.

"When I was little, I dreamed about having my first kiss on a sleigh ride during the first snow. Like a fairytale. Just one of the silly dreams that never about to anything..." To my disappointment, my first kiss was very far from what I wished it could have been. A school picnic. May. The sun was shining. It wasn't the magic I dreamed about.

"Well, you can never give up on your dreams. They could always come true, eventually.." I tried thinking of what he meant, and I could have sworn he leaned a little closer to me, but Spencer pulled up at that moment.

We both pulled out of the trance we were in, picked up our bags, and walked away from that bench.

The bench where the first snowflakes of 2009 fell. Where I felt magic for the first time. The seat that made me think of Freddie in a different light.

* * *

(Freddie POV)

I can't believe it's December already. I always look back on the year so far during the holiday season. Boy, it's been a weird one. I'm not a little nerdy kid anymore, and if anything, my crush on Carly has only gotten stronger. I'm not so desperate anymore; I just try to be the best friend I can. Which is why the dance with her was spontaneous, but I won't argue. It was one of the greatest moments of my life. And now here I sit with none other than the love of my life, waiting for a ride home. Well, that's my 2009.

I stared up at the frozen sky, noticing something that excited the child in me, but I wouldn't let Carly know that. I played it cool and talked subtle. "Hey, it's snowing."

She shook her head, as if erasing thoughts, and looked up. Immediately, the corners of her perfect mouth turned up.

"The first snow of the season. This is something I've looked forward to every year since I could walk. It's so magical, so peaceful." So magical. So peaceful. It's true; I feel like all is right with the world when it snows.

"I know what you mean." I was quiet for a second, but then I realize one of our little jokes. "It's like one of those sappy Hallmark movies, only not so ridiculous." Every Saturday in December, I went over to her house with Sam and we watched stupidly romantic Christmas movies. Carly made some secret recipe of hot chocolate and bonbons. Both were insanely delicous.

"When I was little, I dreamed about having my first kiss on a sleigh ride during the first snow. Like a fairytale. Just one of the silly dreams that never about to anything..."

You know, I kind of had a similar dream. I always wanted my first kiss to be perfect, with a girl I felt magic with. I'm such a girl! Oh well, my first kiss ended up being on a fire escape with the "girl" I half-despise. You can't get everything you wish for. But you can still have hope. Hey....

"Well, you can never give up on your dreams. They could always come true, eventually..."

Just another pathetic attempt at getting her to fall in love with me. To no avail.

She smiled. Hey, why not... I got a millimeter closer to her, not wanting to be obvious. Too bad Spencer came rolling in on his new Prius at the exact second I thought she was giving in.

We both pulled out of the trance we were in, picked up our bags, and walked towards him.

The first snow of the season. The second time I got Carly to relax a little. And hopefully, they would lead to more of those moments... Maybe even a relationship.

Instead of waiting until 2010, I decided to make a December Resolution. To get Carly to fall for me. If she didn't, I'd give up, and if she did, well....

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed Day 1 of 25 Days of Creddie! Please review, even if you hated it, and subscribe if you liked it! I'll be posting a new chapter every day.**


	2. December 2nd

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 25th!**

December 2nd - The New Guy

(Carly POV)

Blonde hair. Electric blue eyes. Tall. Muscular. Athletic. Honor Roll student. iCarly fan. I think I just described the love of my life. His name is Trevor Schneider. He just moved here from California. Los Angeles. His dream was to be an actor, but his parents had a messy divorce, and here he is. I know so much about him, yet we've never talked. I hear he's in my english class, but I wasn't there today. Stupid doctor appointment, causing me to miss the first two periods, delaying my meeting with Prince Charming. I can't WAIT until tomorrow.

(Freddie POV)

Tyler or Trevor or whatever his name is makes me SICK. He's an athlete and he's from LA. What, does that make him GOD? Every single girl at school has fallen in love with him, even Carly, and she hasn't even met him. I bet she's daydreaming about him like I do about her.

_A walk in the snow. A sweet first kiss. Holding hands at the Christmas parade._

When "One Less Lonely Girl" started playing, my perfect dream ended. Wait.. that's Carly's ringtone! So naturally, I answered as fast as my fingers would move.

"Hello?"

"Hey.. I was just calling to get our Chemistry and English assignments."

Chemistry... for you to realize that we're perfect for each other.  
English... letting me tell you how perfect we are for each other.

"Oh, uh, well, we just watched a video in Chem and for english, you have to write a romance poem."

"Ugh, I hate this whole Romeo and Julie unit. I mean, I love the book, but the homework is painful."

"I know. At least your a girl. Any idea how awful it is to write a mushy poem when you're a guy trying to defend his loserness?"

"You're not a loser and your poems are really good! Guys can be romantic too! 'Girly girls' love that, you know."

"FREDDIE! IT'S TIME FOR YOUR TICK BATH!"

"MOM, I'M ON THE PHONE!"

"TICKS DON'T WAIT FOR CONVENIENT MOMENTS TO BITE!"

Carly was trying to stifle her laugh on the other line. "I'll talk to you tomorrow... enjoy your flea bath."

"TICK BATH. Oh, like it matters. It's still pathetic. See ya."

I hung up the phone and prepared to be covered head to toe in nasty-smelling anti-tick solution.

(Carly POV)

Oh, Freddie. Such a nub, but it's not your fault. Your mom is physco. Crap, it's already 9:30. Time for bed... wait, I have to go on Facebook!

The first thing on my life feed was, "Sam Puckett and Trevor Schneider are now friends."

HE'S ON FACEBOOK! I HAVE TO ADD HIM!

No, I can't. He hasn't even met me yet. I'll just have to wait until tomorrow...

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed Day 2 of 25 Days of Creddie! Please review, even if you hated it, and subscribe if you liked it! I'll be posting a new chapter every day. Note-I have no idea if Trevor Schneider is a real person or anything.. I had writer's block when coming up with a name.**


	3. December 3rd

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 25th!**

December 3rd - Creddie Gets Squashed

(Freddie POV)

After grabbing my books for 1st period, I looked up to see _him_ standing there.

"Hey, dude.." This is _not_ the time to play nice.

"Freddie. What do you want?" I asked with an annoyed tone in my voice.

"You're the geek for iCarly, right? You know Carly and Sam?"

"Technical producer, not geek, and yeah, I know Carly and Sam."

"They go to this school, right?" Where is he going with this...

"Yeah, why?"

"Is Carly single?" He asked, playing dumb but knowing exactly he was getting at.

Great. What do I say? I could tell him, 'No, she's taken,' but that will probably just blow up in my face. But if I tell him she's single, he'll change that status in two seconds. I stood there like an idiot for a minute, contemplating my options.

Finally, I decided to just tell the truth.. with a glimmer of lie. "She is, but I'd watch it if I were you. She doesn't go for the popular, 'I know I'm awesome' guys."

"Good to know..." He said curiously, before walking away.

Damn. Why am I so stupid?

* * *

(Carly POV)

I've never been so excited for school in my life! I get to meet Trevor! I felt like skipping and singing show tunes. The last guy I went out with was such a nub. What if Trevor asks me out? What do I say? Play it cool, say 'Oh I have to check my schedule,' or just flat out say yes?!_ Relax,Carly. He hasn't even met you yet.  
_

"Hey, Freddie!" I said, cheerful as I felt.

"Hi." Was all I got. A cold, flat word. I guess I can wait a few more seconds to meet Trevor...

"What's wrong?"

He just glared at me and walked away. Oh well, I can't let him ruin my perfect day. If he wants to act jank, he can. So I headed to english class, leaving his bad vibe behind me.

As soon as I walked into the room, my heart fluttered a little. He was standing there, in his six feet of perfectness, and when I sat down, he looked my way and smiled. My heart went into overdrive when he sauntered towards me.

"Hey, you're Carly Shay, right?" _He knows my name!_

"Yeah, how do you know?" I replied are coolly as possible. _First impressions mean a lot._

"Oh, I'm a big fan of iCarly. So... this sounds really stalkerish, but do you want to go out sometime?"Oh. My. Gosh. This can't be happening! _But it is..._

"That sounds really great," I responded, sweetly with a hint of flirty. It was a trick I'd mastered by now.

"Cool... I'll talk to you on Facebook." God, I love the internet.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed Day 3 of 25 Days of Creddie! Please review, even if you hated it, and subscribe if you liked it! I'll be catching up today, then posting a new chapter every day. PS-Don't attack me saying "WTF! WHAT ABOUT CREDDIE!" Just remember.. it takes 25 days to get there... **


	4. December 4th

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 25th!**

December 4th - Frozen Hearts

(Carly POV)

It's the first Friday of December and I'm spending it baking cookies. Tomorrow starts the annual tradition of cocoa, cookies, and sappy movies with my two best friends. I have a new potential boyfriend; he's going to talk to me tonight and make a date. It's amazing how fast a life can change.

A knock at my door interrupted my thoughts.

"My mom's trying to do screwed up things to me. Can I hide here for a while?"

"Well.." Why not?

"FREDDIE!" I heard him mom yell.

I giggled and grabbed him. "I feel like I'm helping a criminal."

"No, you're helping a poor innocent boy from being tortured by his mental case mother."

Well, I can't argue with that one.

"So what's up?"

"I'm just baking cookies for tomorrow and eyeing my Facebook every two seconds for a new message."

"From..."

Dish to him or act like it's no big deal? Ugh, he's my friend; he should know.

"That new kid, Trevor Schneider. He walked up to me in english and started talking. It was a little creepy, but hey, at least he's a fan of our show."

I suddenly realized the reason for Freddie's sour expression. Should I really be telling him this? I feel horrible; I shouldn't hurt him. This whole situation kills me sometimes, because I love him, but not in the way he wants.

A strange sound came from my computer. "It's Prince Trevor.." Freddie said, clearly annoyed. "I'll be having my ears vacuumed." he said. _"Not that you care," _he mumbled, barely audible.

My heart stung so bad, I just shut my laptop miserably and headed upstairs. _"Not that you care,"_

_

* * *

_

(Freddie POV)

It's the first Friday of the month. That means it's "Happy Hygiene" day. Ear vacuuming, toe flossing, and body buttering were in store for me. I decided to escape to torture and see if Carly would even bother talking to me. I really thought she was starting to like me. But noo, some nub had to come from sunny California with sun-bleached hair and tan muscles and just wipe the past few months out of her memory. It's amazing how fast feelings can change. One day we're having a moment in the snow, the next it's like I'm hardly even there.

"Freddie," my mom called, "It's time for Happy Hygiene!"

Oh no. I better get out of here fast. I barely made it out the door before she saw me.

I banged on Carly's door desperately, tapping my foot anxiously as I waited for her to answer.

"My mom's trying to do screwed up things to me. Can I hide here for a while?" I said through my teeth.

"Well.." Precious time is wasting away! My mom's coming for me!

"FREDDIE!" Busted,

She laughed, probably thinking I'm pathetic, and pulled me inside. My arm burned where she'd touched me. "I feel like I'm helping a criminal."

"No, you're helping a poor innocent boy from being tortured by his mental case mother." So true.

I tried to break the silence, hoping it wouldn't ever come back. "So what's up?"

"I'm just baking cookies for tomorrow and eyeing my Facebook every two seconds for a new message." Ah, cookies. She remembered. At least he's not ruining her _completely _yet.

"From..." I waited for the blow.

"That new kid, Trevor Schneider. He walked up to me in english and started talking. It was a little creepy, but hey, at least he's a fan of our show." She said, completely smitten. **(AN: Where am I spitting these corny words out from?)**

I couldn't help but frown. I guess I never realized how he was going to fall for her and they'd date in no time and she'd completely forget about what little we had just a few days ago. Sometimes I have to hear that hope is lost before it actually sinks in.

The sound I'd been nervously anticipating sounded from her PearBook. "It's Prince Trevor.." I said bitterly. "I'll be having my ears vacuumed." So much for standing up to my mother. _"Not that you care," _I said to myself, miserable. .

I walked out of her place and back into mine. Could this night get any worse?

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed Day 4 of 25 Days of Creddie! Please review, even if you hated it, and subscribe if you liked it! I'll be posting a new chapter every day. Are you starting to notice the changing emotions yet?**


	5. December 5th

**I hope you enjoyed Day 1 of 25 Days of Creddie! Please review, even if you hated it, and subscribe if you liked it! I'll be posting a new chapter every the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 25th!**

December 5th - Dream Date... Or Not

(Carly POV)

I couldn't help but shed a few tears before falling asleep last night. I blew off my chat date with Trevor, but it's the whole reason I got upset. My feelings are completely stupid and I shouldn't care that I don't like Freddie. Yeah, he's my friend and I care about him, but who cares? I should be able to date without feeling any guilt at all.

* * *

(Freddie POV)

It's not like this is anthing new. Tons of guys like Carly; how could they not? She's smart and beautiful and funny, she's an internet celebrity... there's no reason to _not_ like her. The thing is, 99% of the guys she likes or wants to date are jerks, and the other percent is the guys that are nice but either really annoying or really stupid. She doesn't care about the nice guys with no major flaws that are completely in love with her. No, that'd be crazy. She has to fall for the guy who has the reputation for being a total player. There are rumors going around saying he's cheated more than once and all of his relationships end badly. Then again, those are just rumors, but I'm really hoping they're true. Maybe if Carly gets hurt, she'll come to me...

* * *

(Carly POV)

After totally ignoring Trevor's instant message last night, I figured he wouldn't want to talk to me. But Saturday morning, I had one missed alert on my phone. A text. From him. I didn't give him my number...

_'Hey, it's Trev. Got ur # from ur profile. Idk wut happened last nite, but i wna get 2gether still. How bout 2nite 5? Ice skating? Plz reply ASAP.'_

He still wants to go out with me, even though I was totally rude to him. _Awww. I have to go with him tonight._

_'Ya, I'd love that. Can we meet there?'_

He replied in seconds.

_'Sure. C ya then.'_

Trotting down the stairs, I flipped my phone shut. I froze when I saw the container of freshly-baked cookies, iced in wintery blue. What about the Hallmark marathon with my two best friends?

'They'll understand,' I thought. They have to. This is a major date!

I wasn't brave enough to actually talk to Freddie in person, so I just texted both him and Sam.

'Hey, im rly sorry but I gotta cancel our movie date for 2day. I have a date with Trevor and I really can't reschedule or cancel.'

Well, I guess I could... but I'm too wrapped up in the boy that I really don't care.

(Freddie POV)

I didn't know whether to be happy or upset when I got a text from the love of my life.

'Hey, im rly sorry but I gotta cancel our movie date for 2day. I have a date with Trevor and I really can't reschedule or cancel.'

Funny. She didn't have a date with him for long, just last night. Couldn't she work it out to not make it today? Whatever. I really don't care anymore. She'll never love me, anyway. I might as well just give up now.

**(AN: I REALLY wanted to end it here and make it suspenseful. But when I saw how short this story was, I felt obligated to make it longer.)

* * *

**

(Carly POV)

I spent two hours getting ready for this date. I showered, then blow-dried and curled my hair. It took me forever to decide on an outfit, and my final choice was dark wash skinny jeans with sandy colored Uggs and a cute blue long-sleeved hooded shirt. I tried to make my makeup look like I wasn't trying too hard, but I ended up applying more than usual. What if he thinks it's obvious how hard I worked to achieve this look?

I didn't have much time to decide, as it was already 4:45. I grabbed my black peacoat and purse, grabbing my phone out of its pouch and heading out the door.

_(Time skip... I really didn't feel the need to write out every single moment of the date) _

It was 7:00 and Trevor and I decided to end our date at the Groovy Smoothie. I ended up being a pretty good ice skater, and I was even able to show off a bit. Of course, he was like a skating _God, _but at least I didn't make a fool of myself. It was only about 15 degrees, and I didn't have any gloves. I thought it would make me look like a baby.

"Gosh, it's really cold out," I said casually, rubbing my hands together.

"Well I'm toasty warm," He replied. He put his arm around me and grabbed my hands**. (AN: Not really sure if this is even possible, but oh frickin well.)**

My heart sped up a little, and I suddenly felt a lot cozier. We stepped into the doors of the Groovy Smoothie. He asked me what I want and told me to sit down; he would order and pay for me.

It seemed like we were moving kind of fast. Getting all touchy after only two hours, him paying for me right off the bat. Something felt different about this relationship. It was a little overwhelming, but I think I like it.

Trevor arrived with our smoothies and sat down. We had just started a conversation about iCarly when his phone buzzed. "It's just a text," he said, acting like it's no big deal, but having a weird expression on his face. He was pretty much sitting next to me, but he subtly scooted further away. He tilted his phone away from my eyes and read the screen nervously. When he slid his keyboard out, he put it under the table and kept looking at me as he typed. When he was finished, he scooted back and grabbed my hand as if nothing happened.

I don't know why, but something didn't feel right. I just had to ask. "What was that about?" I tried to play it cool, to not act nosy. "It was my mom." He said, much too urgently. "She said I have to get home by 8. So I'll see you at school Monday." I glanced at my phone. 7:22. "Uh, where exactly do you live?" He glanced around the room, obviously nervous. "On the far side of town. You know, like 30 minutes away." No. I didn't know. "Fine. Bye." I tried to be casual, but I was getting visibly upset.

He's hiding something from me. Nobody acts like that when nothing is going on. I grabbed my purse and walked out the door, leaving our smoothies behind me. I didn't even pay attention to the cold. I just walked into the lobby, totally ignoring Lewbert's obnoxious complaints, and got up to the apartment. When Spencer asked how the date was, I just looked at him for a split second and walked upstairs slowly. I didn't text Sam back when she asked me how the date was, and I didn't answer Freddie's call. I just got ready for bed and laid down, having deja vu of the previous night.

* * *

**Woo! My longest chapter so far! I hope you enjoyed Day 5 of 25 Days of Creddie! Please review, even if you hated it, and subscribe if you liked it! I'll be posting a new chapter every day. Day 6 will feature lots of Creddie again =)**


	6. December 6th

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 25th!**

December 6th - Just Friends

(Carly POV)

It was Sunday now, and my Saturday was spent obsessing over a date that ended kind of roughly. I grabbed my phone and opened it. Five missed alerts. Two texts from Sam, a text from Freddie, a call from Freddie, and a text from Trevor. I decided to read the worst first.

_'U know, i thought u were cool, but ur just 1 of those girls that has 2 be in my business. I could tell what u were thinking last nite. U didnt trust me. Well worry no more. That wuz our last date.. i scored with rebecca berkowitz.'_

Before I could produce any tears, my phone rang again. Freddie. I could just ignore it, but I should probably talk to him.

"Hello?" My voice cracked as I answer.

He began to speak, but he cut off his voice on the first word. "What's wrong?" He asked me, like my feelings were the most obvious thing in the world. I was kind of confused as to how he knew I was upset.

"I-what-wait-how did you-"

"You're on the verge of tears, now tell me what happened. Do I have to go kick the pretty boy's ass?"

I was totally caught off guard my his words. He knows I'm practically crying. He just referred to Trevor as pretty boy, and he said ASS.

"What's gotten into you?"

"It's all over Facebook that Trevor's got a date with Rebecca Berkowitz. I can only assume he was a jerk to you."

"Well, not really, but last night we were at the Groovy Smoothie and he acted a little odd, and today he texted me and said it wouldn't really work out."

"You're not telling me everything... I know you better than that."

"I really don't feel like talking about it," I said quickly. I wanted to crawl back in bed and cry. I fell for this guy too fast. It's not my fault I'm disappointed.

"Let's get out and do something. Sam told me she has to go somewhere with her mom today, but I don't want you sitting there alone all day being miserable. You're into Twilight, aren't you? Let's go see the new movie."

Did he just... ask me out? When he knows I'm upset? Is he trying to take advantage of my current feelings?

...Or is he just trying to be a good friend?

I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. He_ is _my second best friend. Maybe he just wants to make me feel better.

I sighed. "I'll be ready in ten."

After changing into sweat pants, uggs, a cami, and a matching zip-up hoodie, I ran a brush through my hair, rubbed off my smeared mascara, and applied a new coat. I really didn't care how I looked. It obviously doesn't matter anyway.

Freddie knocked on the door right on time, holding a printed piece of paper in his hand. "I guess it's a hard show to get tickets for, so I pre-bought."

"How much were they?"

"Don't worry about it. It's on me."

"Freddie, this isn't a date..."

He immediately responded. "I don't care. You're bummed and I want to get you back to how you were a week ago. Not obsessing over some random jerk."

His words stung a little. Some random jerk. Did he ever even say a word to this guy?

"Why do you hate him so much?" I asked curiously.

"I don't know, he's just the type of guy I tend to despise. Besides, I think you ought to know, he had a date with Rebecca before he even asked you out. He's the biggest player I've ever seen. He was at his old school, too."

I thought about what he said. Trevor wasn't_ really _into me. And if he was, he obviously didn't care. I'm just some girl to him. Nothing special at all, something he can replace with the snap of his fingers.

It was quiet on the walk to the theater. We didn't bother getting a ride, since it was only a few blocks away. I started shivering at the cold again, remembering how sweetly Trevor put his arm around me yesterday. _It obviously wasn't very sweet.  
_

I sniffled, shaking my hair back as the wind blew it into my eyes. Freddie looked at me for a second, but as soon as he saw me glance back, he looked away. As we approached the theater, I finally spoke.

"I'm sorry." I said, trying to make my voice as even as possible.

He stopped walking and stared at me like I was insane.

"What are _you_ sorry for? Getting played? Making me lose precious time with my mess of a mom? I should be the one apologizing, instead of keeping my mouth shut like an idiot."

I ignored every word he just said.

"I've been talking about Trevor nonstop ever since I met him, and I've been such a jerk to you, but here you are. No matter what I do, you never get mad. You don't get upset with me. I'm going around dating jank guys, and you're still waiting here, generous as ever. Are you ever giving up on me?"

Was that too rough?

"No. I love you, and as long as you're around, so am I. I have no problem mending your heart so your next boyfriend can rip it up again. I just hate having to see you like this."

I struggled to keep my hands at my side, and then failed. I hugged him tight, sniffling more. "Sometimes I think you're a better friend than Sam." He smirked. Since when does he _smirk_? Isn't that a "cool guy" thing? "I _know_ I'm a better friend than Sam."

I smiled back, and we entered the warmth of the theater and inhaled the strong smell of popcorn. "Get whatever you like," he said, "I'm paying."

He's paying? I think he _is_ a better friend than Sam.

(Freddie POV)

I got up early and logged in to my computer. I went to and grabbed a banana. As I scrolled down the live feed, ignoring half of the pointless crap, a status caught my eye. Rebecca Berkowitz "has a date with the new hottie from LA!" I dropped my fruit when I read the time. "Friday at 5:00 pm." She had a date with him before Carly did...

What a jerk.

I decided to call Carly, to see if she saw the status yet. I knew she'd be upset. She was so into him.

"Hello?" As soon as I heard her talk, I knew she knew. But I decided to play dumb and ask her what happened. Venting is good.

"What's wrong?" I asked as nicely as possible.

"I-what-wait-how did you-"

So confused. How could I not know, love? I know nearly everything about you.

"You're on the verge of tears, now tell me what happened. Do I have to go kick the pretty boy's ass?" I was surprised at my random burst of confidence, but I liked it.

"What's gotten into you?" She halfheartedly laughed at my odd response.

"It's all over Facebook that Trevor's got a date with Rebecca Berkowitz. I can only assume he was a jerk to you." Now my tone was getting kind of cheesy, but I didn't even care.

"Well, not really, but last night we were at the Groovy Smoothie and he acted a little odd, and today he texted me and said it wouldn't really work out." It was obvious she was being vague.

"You're not telling me everything... I know you better than that."

"I really don't feel like talking about it," I think she's actually crying now. I suddenly felt bad for being so... confident and positive. I had to make her feel better,

"Let's get out and do something. Sam told me she has to go somewhere with her mom today, but I don't want you sitting there alone all day being miserable. You're into Twilight, aren't you?" I recalled the time she was going crazy over the books with Sam. "Let's go see the new movie."

I hope she didn't think I was trying to get a date with her when she was down. That's the last thing I want her to think. I just want to be there for her and get her back to her old self.

It was quiet for a moment, but then she let out a breath. "I'll be ready in ten."

Awesome. Ten minutes. I can buy the tickets and still have time to get dressed.

Perfectly, the 10:00 AM show still had tickets. I bought two with my mom's credit card. She'll understand, I thought. I got ready, and ended up outside her door right on time.

"I guess it's a hard show to get tickets for, so I pre-bought." I explained.

"How much were they?" No way are you paying.

"Don't worry about it. It's on me."

"Freddie, this isn't a date..."

I was afraid she'd think like that. "I don't care. You're bummed and I want to get you back to how you were a week ago. Not obsessing over some random jerk."

Crap. Was that too harsh?

"Why do you hate him so much?" What a stupid question. I tried to not make my answer sound obvious, as she seemed kind of wonderous.

"I don't know, he's just the type of guy I tend to despise. Besides, I think you ought to know, he had a date with Rebecca before he even asked you out. He's the biggest player I've ever seen. He was at his old school, too." I guess she should know the whole truth...

Neither of us spoke as we walked the few blocks to the movie theater. I thought about asking her if she's cold, but I feared she'd think I was trying to make a move. So I just moved my feet with my hands in my pockets, admiring the fresh blanket of powder on the ground.

She sniffled and wiped her eye. Then she broke the silence.

"I'm sorry." She sounded out of breath.

I stopped dead in my tracks, appauled by her ridiculous apology.

"What are you sorry for? Getting played? Making me lose precious time with my mess of a mom? I should be the one apologizing, instead of keeping my mouth shut like an idiot."

"I've been talking about Trevor nonstop ever since I met him, and I've been such a jerk to you, but here you are. No matter what I do, you never get mad. You don't get upset with me. I'm going around dating jank guys, and you're still waiting here, generous as ever. Are you ever giving up on me?"

Her words kind of upset me. No, I'll never give up on you. I wanted to kiss her, make her forget all about Trevor. Show her how much I love her. Instead, I just spit out more words that she wouldn't remember tomorrow anyway.

"No. I love you, and as long as you're around, so am I. I have no problem mending your heart so your next boyfriend can rip it up again. I just hate having to see you like this."

She wrapped her arms around me, her petite cold body sending a shiver down my spine. Or it was just the electricity I felt. "Sometimes I think you're a better friend than Sam."

She loves me. I know she does. She just isn't in love with me. And I don't care. A friend is all she needs, so I'm here. "I know I'm a better friend than Sam." I smiled.

She smiled right back at me, and we got into the theater with ten minutes to spare.

"Get whatever you like. I'm paying." She's considering the fact that I'm better than Sam. I better act on that while I can.

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**NOTE... Thanks to two wonderful reviewers, drag0nl0rd and sockstar****, I've become aware of an accidental repeat and fixed it. I try to spell and grammar check, but I guess I was too caught up in the sweet Creddieness to notice these error. Please, feel free to correct me again in the future,**

**You guys have no idea how happy it makes me to cross off a chapter in my FanFiction notebook. But you know what makes me happier? Reviews =)**

**I hope you enjoyed Day 6 of 25 Days of Creddie! Please review, even if you hated it, and subscribe if you liked it! I'll be posting a new chapter every day.**


	7. December 7th

As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 25th!

December 7th - Rumors!

(Freddie POV)

Yesterday was really great. By the end of the movie, I had Carly laughing again. She grabbed my hand twice during the film. On the way back home, we started talking about the past and laughing. She leaned onto my shoulder more than once. When we got back to her place, we did homework and watched TV until it was 8:00 at night. She ignored Sam's calls, and she told me more than once how grateful she was for me.

That night, I dreamed of her. Of us. Riding through the snow in a sleigh, being carried by horses as white as the snow that was gently falling around us. She leaned into me and I put my arm around her. We drew closer and closer until our lips were a millimeter apart. Just as they touched, I was surprised by a loud, obnoxious sound.

_Morning already? _I groaned. I rolled out of bed to face another day, a day with school... but a day with Carly.

(Carly POV)

When I got to school, I felt a few pairs of eyes on me as I walked towards my locker. As I entered my combination, Sam just stared my way. After a minute, I got a little annoyed.

"_What?" _I hissed.

"Well..." She started, "When I got to school this morning, I heard you and Freddie are dating."

I nearly dropped my math book. "WHAT?"

"Yeah, I guess he took you out on a date when things ended badly with Trevor? You went to the movies, you kissed him in front of the Groovy Smoothie. Care to share?"

"No no no no no nononononono. We did NOT go out on a date and I'm NOT going out with him."

"But did you go out with him?"

"Well, I was really bummed about being played by Trevor, so he just tried to make me feel better. We went and saw a movie, then we hung out and studied. It wasn't a _date_."

"Sounds like a date to me," She sang.

"What sounds like a date?" I heard the voice of Freddie Benson behind me. Well, this kind of sucks.

I looked at him awkwardly. But Sam couldn't keep her mouth shut.

"There's a rumor going around school that a certain iCarly star and technical producer are having romantical relations." She batted her eyelashes mockingly.

"Pardon?" He said, completely confused.

I intervened. "I guess when we went to the movies yesterday, it kind of looked like a date, and people are saying we're going out now."

He rolled his eyes. "Why does it even matter if we're going out?" He asked, apparently a little too loud.

Sarah Creaster, the biggest gossiper in the, school, was standing across the hall. "I TOLD YOU IT WAS TRUE!!" She yelled to her best friend. "CARLY SHAY AND FREDDIE BENSON ARE DATING!!!"

"We're not dating!" I yelled, half angrily. This was really starting to grind my gears. **(AN... inside joke, had to say it. Basically, it's pissing her off)**

Freddie put his arm on mine. "Just forget it. Let them think what they think. The important thing is that we know the truth, that we're just friends, nothing more." He said. I was surprised how mature he was being about this.

I calmed down. "Kay." And I headed off to class.

When I glanced back to look at the clock, I saw a very glum looking Freddie staring back at me, completely love-struck.

(Freddie POV)

I tried to play it cool, but on the inside, I was dying. She had no idea how much I wish these rumors are true. I can't even believe I said half of what I said. _We're just friends, nothing more._

_To her. To me, she was everything I've ever dreamed of. I wish she would realize how perfect we would be together._

_My December resolution: To make Carly fall for me._

_So far.... nothing._

_But I still have 18 more days.

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_

_**Notice the word "glum" ? It's from iDon't Wanna Fight. It was my Word of the Day. I love iCarly and their stupid little words. I LOVE it.**_

_**Oh, by the way, I can see the future, and I see someone asking me if Sam's jealous. This is 25 Days of Creddie, not 25 Days of Creddie with a hint of Seddie =)**_

_**I hope you enjoyed Day 7 of 25 Days of Creddie! Please review, even if you hated it, and subscribe if you liked it! I'll be posting a new chapter every day.**_


	8. December 8th

_******As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 25th!  
**  
Okay you guys, I'm going to be kind of weird and dull for a sec. I kind of need to make Sam disappear for a couple weeks... so I'm just going to tell you why she isn't around as usual. She met this really awesome guy at the mall one day, and now they're dating. Yeah, I could have actually shown this, but it's not very Creddieish, and I just want to get to the point. So there. Sam has a boyfriend. It's just Carly and Freddie now... *wink*_

December 8th - Frozen Battlefield

(Freddie POV)

School passed by fairly uneventfully. A few more people asked me to "confirm the rumors," and I reluctantly told them that they were nothing but lies. _But they won't be soon,_ I mentally added on.

At the end of the day, I stuffed my Chemistry and Algebra 2 books into my backpack and started out the door. Not long after I stepped out into the bitter cold and sea of white, Carly appeared right beside me, perfect as ever.

"Hey!" She said, cheerfully. She was in a good mood for some reason. I shouldn't harsh it with my own glumness (AN: If that's a word, great, if it isn't I don't care. Glum is still my word).

"Hey, why so hyper?" I asked, just as if nothing had changed between us. In plain sight, nothing had, but in our minds, it was getting to be sort of tense between us. Part of me wanted things to go back to the way they were, but somewhere deep inside, a twinge of optimism kept me chasing after her heart.

"Oh, no reason." She replied. Obviously, there was a reason and she was dying to tell me.

"Okay, I'll tell you."

Woah. Is she like... that Edward Cullen dude or something? She knows exactly what I'm thinking half the timee.

"Those rumors were kind of frusterating, but then in 4th hour, I heard Rebecca B dumped Trevor for being such an idiot. Now, he's trying to find another girlfriend, but no one is stupid enough now. I just love seeing a player get played. And you know how we got our midterm study guides today? I know practically everything by heart already. Not to mention the blizzard on the way."

Looks like she's back to her old self. My Carly. As we began our walk home, I decided to get a little risky and take a stroll down memory lane. _Elementary school, snowstorm, snowball fight._

I grabbed a pile of slushy frozen precipitation and rolled it. After slowing down a bit, letting her get ahead of me, I aimed and pitched. Bam, it hit her right in the back of the head. Not hard, of course. I would never hurt her. Just a friendly little snow war.

She whipped around faster than I've ever seen anyone move. Her face was cold and unfriendly, but I knew what she felt inside was different when she did the exact same thing I did, nailing me in the chest.

I started chasing after her, grabbing clumps of snow and chucking them, not bothering to get them into balls. It turned into more of a snow-shoving fight in a vacant lot near our houses. Our bags were tossed carelessly on the side. We meant _business_. The two of us slid around on the icy pavement, getting totally soaked and frozen solid, but we didn't mind. It was just like old times. But better. What I could only dream of a young friendship between future lovers would be like.

(Carly POV)

School passed by fairly uneventfully. A few more people asked me to "confirm the rumors," and I reluctantly told them that they were nothing but lies. _But they won't be soon,_ I mentally added on.

Throughout the school day, all the questions about Freddie and I were_ really _starting to get annoying. Just as I was getting near my official "bad mood" point, it did a complete 180. I heard a group of three nice, smart, non-lying girls talking about Trevor.

"Yeah, Becca totally dumped him when she heard about Carly. Now nobody will go out with him. It's kinda pathetic, he's chasing around girls like a five-year-old."

Yes. Normally, I hated it when people talked about others behind their back, but the idea was starting to warm up to me. I think he got what he deserved.

At the end of the day, I packed my bag as fast as possible to catch up to Freddie.

"Hey!" No use hiding my excitement! Freddie seemed like he hated Trevor.. maybe my news will make him feel better too.

"Hey, why so hyper?" Not as happy as I was, but he was looking better than this morning.

"Oh, no reason..." I have to get him intrigued! After a second, though, I had to spill the beans.

"Okay, I'll tell you. Those rumors were kind of frusterating, but then in 4th hour, I heard Rebecca B dumped Trevor for being such an idiot. Now, he's trying to find another girlfriend, but no one is stupid enough now. I just love seeing a player get played. And you know how we got our midterm study guides today? I know practically everything by heart already. Not to mention the blizzard on the way."

I took a deep breath. That was an incredibly long-winded statement. He smiled at me, and we began to head in the direction of home. We were walking pretty close, and I was fully aware of his arm nearly touching mine. _Woah... why did I notice that?_

Since I was so attentive, it was obvious after a moment that he wasn't so close anymore. Before I could turn to see where he was held up, something cold and wet hit me.

I turned around so fast at the surprise, my neck hurt. There was Freddie, smirking once again, with the subtle evidence of white powder on his black glove.

I had to smile. This reminded me of when I was a kid, when the little boys who had crushes on me would throw snow until I cried. Only now, it was different. _Different how? _No idea.

I quickly threw a snowball back at him, hitting him square in the chest. But when he started coming after me, I ditched him.

We tossed a snow sphere here and there until we made it to an empty parking lot with 6 inches of powder on it. The fight went from snowballs to just pushing snow back and forth. When my hair was full of slush, my cheeks were as red as Rudolph's nose, and my hands were so frozen they failed to work, I decided it was time to go home to a hot cup of cocoa and a Christmas movie or two with my best friend.

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**You guys. Help me. I watched iChristmas and now the thought of Sam + Freddie (Sorry, it already drives me nuts saying "Creddie." I hate official ship names) won't leave my head... WTF? **

**I hope you enjoyed Day 8 of 25 Days of Creddie! Please review, even if you hated it, and subscribe if you liked it! I'll be posting a new chapter every day.**


	9. December 9th

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 25th!**

December 9th - Encouragement

(Freddie POV)

Before study hall, I spotted my love sitting on a bench, biting her lip and tapping her foot. That was her "nervous" pose. Since Sam was practically nonexistent lately, I figured I should talk to her. I grabbed my History book and walked up to her.

"Why are you thumping your foot on the ground like a guilty person? Did Sam change your grade again?"

"No, Freddie." She said, a hint of distress in her voice. "Mrs. Warner is about to post the cast list for the Christmas play. I think I was horrible because Sam wasn't there to be awesome."

"You auditioned? Why didn't you tell me! I would have been there for you. I thought we already established the fact that I'm a great friend." I replied, half-jokingly. It was kind of disappointing that she wouldn't tell me about this.

"Don't get all conceited." She muttered sarcastically. "I just thought that-"

She stopped mid-sentence, staring down the hallway. "It'smrswarner. Oh my gosh Freddie, why am I so nervous?!"

"Relax, Carls." I said soothingly, putting my hands on her shoulders. She didn't flinch away like she used to or tell me "too close." She just looked into my eyes, the calm inside of me transferring into her. Taking a deep breath, she slowly turned to face the piece of paper that had just been stapled onto the bulletin board.

Rapidly, she looked away. "Will you check for me?" I nodded, scanning the size-10-or-smaller font for a Shay. I smiled when I found it: the second name on the list. The first girl. The female lead.

When she saw my grin, she mirrored it. "I'm Jessica?"

"No." Dramatic pause. I kept my same normal, relaxed tone. "You're Crystal."

Immediately, her eyes sparkled, her smile brightened, and she wrapped her arms around me. Not wanting this hug to end, I put my arms around her too. "I knew you were crazy good at acting."

When we pulled out of the hug, both of us automatically grasped each other's then, Ms. Briggs walked by, cleared her throat, said (in her evil tone), "I see that again, detention. Got it, lovebirds?"

Carly was clearly embarrassed. I was surprised to hear that even teachers heard the rumors about us. Not that I care, of course.

Day 9: Not together yet, but far from what our old relationship was.

* * *

(Carly POV)

I've had butterflies in my stomach all day. Now, the dreaded moment has come. Any moment now, our drama teacher will come out and post the cast members for the Christmas play she's directing. Auditions were last week, and I was afraid that I'd bombed mine. I was in my own little world until Freddie walked up and looked at me, either concerned or confused.

"Why are you thumping your foot on the ground like a guilty person? Did Sam change your grade again?"

"No, Freddie." My voice broke even though it was just two words. I inhaled shakily. "Mrs. Warner is about to post the cast list for the Christmas play. I think I was horrible because Sam wasn't there to be awesome."

"You auditioned? Why didn't you tell me! I would have been there for you. I thought we already established the fact that I'm a great friend." I rolled my eyes playfully. He really knew how to distract. I decided to distract myself even more.

"Don't get all conceited." I tried to sound annoyed, but my sarcasm was obvious. "I just thought that-" Before I could say any more, Mrs. Warner walked out of her room. I was paralyzed with apprehension.

"It'smrswarner. Oh my gosh Freddie, why am I so nervous?!" My foot tapping began instantly.

"Relax, Carls." He put his warm, calming hands on my tense shoulders. At first, I was uncomfortable with the contact, but then it grew comforting.

I tried looking at the cast list, but I just couldn't do it. "Will you check for me?"

After inspecting the list for a few seconds, he turned to me and smiled.

That must be a good thing! I got the role I was hoping for! "I'm Jessica?"

"No." My heart sank. "You're Crystal."

I'm the female lead! I can't believe it!

In all my excitement, I involuntarily wrapped my arm around his frame. His... muscular frame? _When did he muscles_, I wondered. He hugged me back. "I knew you were crazy good at acting."

His hand made my skin tingle when we took a step away from each other but our hands remained intertwined. I was in my own little world until Miss Devil walked by. "I see that again, detention. Got it, lovebirds?"

I dropped his hand and ran my fingers through my hair, something I only did when I was embarrassed.

Even though I know that this was a friendly hug, something felt strange inside of me. I could have sworn that I recognized the feeling of a crush, a sped-up heartbeat, hot cheeks, but they were quickly discarded. We're just friends.

That's all.

Right?

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**I'm so sorry for getting behind! I had 4 really big tests today and spent last night studying. But from now on, no more excuses. ONE chapter EVERY day or you can yell at me. **

**I hope you enjoyed Day 9 of 25 Days of Creddie! Please review, even if you hated it, and subscribe if you liked it! **


	10. December 10th

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 25th!**

**Quick thank you to a non-registered reader named Addie. You rock.**

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December 10th - Rumor Mill (THAT'S AN EPISODE OF LIFE WITH DEREK!)

(Carly POV)

This morning was kind of rough. When I stepped out of bed, I was immediately dizzy. Thanks to my little fight in the snow, I was now full of snot. Stupid colds! Too bad I have 3 tests today... ugh, I just had to go to school.

As I walked into school, the Gossip Queens were pointing at Freddie and I. Ignoring them, we said our goodbyes and I headed to 1st period. When I continued getting looks, I decided to approach someone.

"Uhm, can I ask you why I keep getting stared at like an alien?"

The blonde rolled her eyes as if it were obvious. "Hel-LO, you're like, a total slut! You were with the nerd all along, but since he's such a nub, you went for Trevor. And when he turned you down, Freddie took you back like it was nothing. And now you're going to get David Patterson's girlfriend to dump him so you can take him? Freddie's like, totally obsessed with you. If you're gonna be a bitch to him, at least dump him while you're at it."** (AN: I watched Mean Girls today. Can you tell?)**

"WHAT? That stuff isn't true! Freddie and I aren't dating! David Patterson is disgusting! I didn't even know he HAS a girlfriend!" Getting all whipped up while I'm fighting a cold wasn't the best idea. I began coughing.

"Maybe you're diseased from getting with so many guys." She flipped her hair back and began examining her perfectly manicured nails. _What the chiz is up with these rumors?_

Later on, in my first class with Freddie, I decided to ask him if he'd heard any of these lies. Instead of bringing it up out loud, note passing seemed like a safer alternative.

'Heard anything about me 2day?'

He looked at me with a confused expression.

'Uh.. we're still goin out.. but ur cheatin on me w/ some guy.. or guys.. idk'

'good 2 know.' I felt my face heat up, the first sign that I'm being upset.

He looked at me again.

'u ok?'

I sniffled and wiped my eyes.

'just a cold.'

He patted my hand.

'let me know if i can do anything'

The rest of the day passed by with nothing new happening. I heard a few more comments, but tried to keep my mind on school work. Why do they even care? Oh right, because it's high school.

As soon as the final bell rang, I rushed to my locker and packed my bag as fast as possible. Sam was waiting for me, but she left after a minute. I had to stay after school for a few minutes because Spencer was going to be late picking me up. I sat on the bench outside and tried to block all thoughts from entering my mind.

"Carly, you need to talk to me." Freddie was standing there, bold and confident. There were still plenty of people standing around, but he didn't seem to mind.

"I don't know where people are getting these rumors from, but you know they aren't true, and that's all that matters. Maybe just.. stick with Sam and I for a while. Like old times. Forget about other guys until you drop the "slut" nickname." I flinced when he said the word.

"I'm sorry." He grabbed my hand, pulled me hug, and embraced me. I felt so safe and right when I was hugging him. After pulling away, Freddie kissed my forehead, and Spencer's horn tooted. I grabbed my bag and walked away.

After a few feet, though, I trotted right back to him. I hugged him again quickly and brokenly said, "Thank you." Then I ran to Spencer's car, hopped in, and drove away.

My head was spinning from all these rumors, but more importantly, the hug. Why did the hugs between Freddie and I seem so.. intimate... lately?

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**You guys... I've got a goal... 100 reviews on this story by Christmas Eve. A little crazy, I know. But if you're reading this, you have no reason to not review. So please do it, and make this my first story to get 100 reviews! It'll be worth it when you read the last chapter on Christmas ;)**

** I hope you enjoyed Day 10 of 25 Days of Creddie! Please review, even if you hated it, and subscribe if you liked it! Sorry for getting behind.**


	11. December 11th

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 25th!**

**OKAY.... so I skipped Thursday the 10th. But I have to go to my friend's house and finish a project. So I'm posting this now, and the only thing that will not make sense is "the comments yesterday." When you see that I've posted Chapter 11, go back and read Chapter 10, because that will be the new chapter. It will restore the order. Sorry if this confuses you, but I really wanted to get a chapter up.**

December 11th - The Dance

(Carly POV)

Today was the second school dance of the year. The last was a couple of months ago; it was the dance that changed my heart forever. The actual party was uneventful and my date drove me nuts, but after that, the dance Freddie and I shared was magical. I was a little worried about how things would go this time. This was a casual dance, held between 5 and 8 on a Friday night. Now, it's 4:30 and I'm finishing getting ready.

I thought long and hard about what I would make myself look like. After the comments yesterday, I decided to not go with anything that could be perceived as... slutty. But I didn't want to dress like a five-year-old.

Finally, I decided to wear a v-neck from American Eagle with a white lace cami underneath, dark wash skinny jeans from Aeropostale, and sandy colored Uggs. All I did to my hair was brush it; glossy, gentle waves cascaded down my back. For makeup, I put on some wintery white eye shadow, mascara, liner, and bronzer. After giving myself the once-over in my full-length mirror, I inhaled. I'm not sure why I'm so nervous, but I do not like it at all.

Freddie was waiting for me downstairs, and I realized how awkward it felt. The last time, it was Austin, the hot new guy in my life. This time, it's my best friend. I can only imagine he feels a tad uncomfortable as well. Spencer thought nothing of it, since he knew nothing of the dance.

Wanting to escape the heavy weight of apprehension that was bearing down on me, I grabbed my purse, jacket, and Freddie's arm, said goodbye to Spencer, and stepped into the hallway. "Are you okay?" He asked. "Fine! Just... excited." He could definitely tell I was lying. I guess he didn't want to pester me.

At the dance, things were already in full swing. "Just Dance" by Lady Gaga was blaring from the DJ stand. I spotted some of my friends and decided to hang out with the girls for the night. Freddie went over by his own friends, and I figured we wouldn't be seeing much of each other the rest of the night. Even Sam was in the group of gossiping girls. I'd missed this 9th grader named Ashlee, who walked in looking like a whore. She's hiding in the bathroom now. I felt a little bad, but she asked for it! At least I didn't do that.

Several upbeat party songs played, which I was glad for. I really didn't feel like slowing down. But eventually, the time had to come. "Two Is Better Than One" began, and people starting pairing up very quickly. Most of my friends had dates, and my corner felt lonely. I was beginning to give up on thinking someone would ask me to dance, but then a familiar face walked up to me.

Griffin.

Pee-Wee boy.

He was even hotte now, with a kind look on his face. Instead of starting a conversation, he simple asked me to dance. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I said yes. We began swaying to the music in the darkness, and I thought of the last time I saw him.

We had kind of a bad break-up, he went to a different school, and we never exchanged numbers. There had been no contact since he overheard me that day in the iCarly studio. I was glad he could forgive me, and that he still liked me. There really isn't anything wrong withhim; he's just unique_._

Just as I felt comfortable with him again, the slow song stopped, and "Replay" started. He pulled away from me and disappeared in the crowd. _Maybe he'll dance with me again later_, I thought.

My friends all ran up to me, giggling and interogating about the guy I was just dancing with. We talked for a few moments, then headed back to the dance floor to go crazy. More of my favorite party songs were played, and it was another 30 minutes before the mood was changed once again.

I had just gone to get some punch and say hi to Freddie, who was standing near the table. I'd chatted with Sam the whole time, so I thought my other best friend deserved some attention. Before I could even get a word out, "One Less Lonely Girl" began to play. I backed away, embarrassed, and threw my empty cup away. As I began to walk away, he grabbed my hand. "Do you want to dance?"

How could I say no? I nodded, and he pulled me onto the dance floor. No doubt, we were getting looks. Did I care? No. We kept the traditional slow dance distance. It was nothing to stare at.

_I'm gonna put you first_

_I'll show you what you're worth_

_If you let me inside of your world _

_There's gonna be on less lonely girl_

Freddie pulled me closer. My arms were wrapped all the way around him now. I began to tense up at the contact, but decided to relax. It's only my friend, after all.

_I can fix up your broken heart_

_I can give you a brand new start_

_I can make you believe_

_I just wanna set one girl free to fall, _

_Free to fall_

_Fall in love _

_With me _

I rested my head on his shoulder. This dance felt so right. Just like the last one.

_Only you, shawty._

"Low" began, startling me. After being so close, dancing so slow, I didn't want to end it now. Freddie held me a little tighter, then let me go. He smiled, then headed back to his AV Club friends. As I turned to head back to my own group, I was getting glared at by five of them.

"So.. wanna tell me what's going on?" Sam asked. She probably thought I was keeping something from her about Freddie and I. Can you blame her? That probably looked like we were dating times 1000.

"No, it was just a dance."

"You sound disappointed." She grinned.

"Oh my gosh, you're in love with the nerd, aren't you?!" Loud much?

"No, Sam... just drop it, okay?"

The end of the night came, and Mrs. Benson picked Freddie and I up. We were silent on the way home, but we hugged in the hallway. "Thank you for the dance," he whispered, then closed his door.

As I walked into my own apartment, I found Spencer wrapped in Christmas lights. "Hey, how was the dance?" He sounded like nothing was strange at all. Typical Spencer.

"It was fun... uh.. need a little help?" I laughed.

"Help would be nice."

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**I WILL catch up today and I WILL update everyday from now on. Sorry, but I've been really busy, with the semester almost over and the holiday season.**

**I hope you enjoyed Day 11 of 25 Days of Creddie! Please review, even if you hated it, and subscribe if you liked it! I'll be posting a new chapter every day.**


	12. December 12th

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 25th!**

**Quick AN... a few people told me they didn't like the story being in both Carly and Freddie's points of view. So.. I won't do EVERY chapter like that, but I'll still do some.**

December 12 - Creddie

(Carly POV)

This weekend will be great. Not only because I get ot stay up late and sleep in until noon. Not because I get to escape the rumors for two whole days. Well, that stuff too. But mainly because it's when the Christmas season will be starting for me! Saturday: Getting the tree, decorating the apartment, sappy Hallmark marathon. Sunday: Shopping for presents! I love the holiday season, and this year, I'll have someone special to spend it with. Sure, I'm not dating Freddie, but we've gotten a lot closer, and it's safe to say I love him now. Not romantically, of course. We're just friends. But... best friends. Really good friends. _Just friends._

I was a little unthrilled to hear that Mrs. Benson would be joining Spencer and I on our tree hunt, but at least Freddie would be coming. We all bundled up for the unseasonably cold weather and piled into Mrs. B's mini van (AN: I don't care if she drives a Prius). On the 30-minute drive to Jenson's Tree Farm, traditional Christmas carols were playing softly on the radio as Mrs. Benson critiqued Spencer's driving (though she was operating the vehicle herself).

Freddie and I were in the back seat, trying to ignore his insane mother. He was surfing the web on his P-Touch, and I was staring outside at the light flurries.

He tapped me on the shoulder, and I whipped around to face him.

"Check this video out. It's gossip about you, me, and Sam."

I leaned closer to him, our heads nearly touching.

A gorgeous brunette appeared on the screen. Her username was xoCheerxo. She seemed like the type of girl everyone else envies.

'As you all know, or at least you should, iCarly is the best web show on the internet. It's a comedy show, and trust me, it's really funny, but there is also hidden drama. It stars two girls, Carly and Sam, features guest stars, such as Gibby, Jake, and Shane, and let's not forget the incredibly cute tech guy, Freddie.'

Incredibly cute tech guy. _Someone has a crush. _

The thing is, was I talking about this girl, or was I talking about Freddie? She's clearly beautiful, and he's obviously enjoying the fact that she thinks he's hot.

Not that it matters. I mean, for all I know, she lives in France.

'Now, I see a lot of things you guys don't, since I too go to Ridgeway High.'

Oh man.

'So I'm going to gossip about some interesting scenes I've noticed in the halls.'

Quick, think! What have I done that's gossip-worthy? Besides the fact that I'm a slut, of course...

'Carly and Jake were this close,' she seperated her first two fingers by a millimeter, 'to dating. But Jake got back with his old girlfriend. Rumor has it, he didn't want to get between Carly and Freddie. Suspicious.'

'Now, Freddie's little crush on Carly was kind of obvious, even to you guys who just see the show. It's been mentioned before, more than once. But it's been 106 days since Creddie-that's their official name-has been mentioned. Is he over her?'

This is so awful to watch! Freddie didn't know about Jake! We have a special name!

'Well, this is kind of a 50-50 situation here. Freddie's been seen with other girls, including a quick kiss before first period. But the last sighting of him with a girl other than Carly or Sam was.. within the first month of this school year.' She reported, looking at a sheet of paper. She takes NOTES.

"Who is this girl?" I was kind of creeped out now. She knows everything!

'Things were kind of uneventful... that is, until just recently. Carly went out with the new guy, Trevor, but then she dumped him. Turns out she was dating Freddie BEFORE the heartthrob moved into town, and she cheated on him!'

I smacked my forehead into my hand.

'I know, I know, those are just rumors. Or are they? I've seen them hug more than once, and he always puts his arm behind her protectively while he leans on the lockers. Coincidence? I think not! So.. Creddie is on, Carly is being kind of slutty. What about Sam? She's had boyfriends on and off. And I guess there's another relationship name, Seddie, which puts her with Freddie. If you ask me, though, it's a bunch of shit. She's such a bitch to him! Then again, so is Carly... Well, I have another name for you: Verredie. That's ME plus Freddie, and if you ask me, that wins.'

I couldn't believe what I was watching.

'Well, that's all! See you next time on V-Chat.'

I lifted my eyes to look at Freddie, but we were extremely close to be touching faces. Or kissing. Whichever you'd prefer to call it. The thing is, we were way close, and it was making me nervous.

"We have a name." He said disbelievingly.

"That's a little crazy! She takes notes on us! Who is that chick?"

"I have no idea. But apparently, she goes to our school. Maybe we should keep our eyes open for hidden cameras or microphones." His tone was full of sarcasm.

"Doesn't this.. bother you?"

"Nah, I think it's pretty cool. She thinks I'm hot. And I'm in a love triangle. I feel so... soap opera-ish."

"So... Seddie, eh? Are you a fan of the pairing?" I was half teasing, half curious. He did kiss her, after all.

He looked ill. "Uh, no. I'm a fan of Creddie myself." He smirked.

Damn his smirk.

I smiled back. Our eyes were locked on each other.

"All right, kiddies! We're here!" Mrs. Benson announced.

I completely forgot where we were going. Freddie's really getting to my head.

* * *

**All right, sorry that this has nothing to do with getting a tree. Originally, it was going to, but then I changed my mind.**

**Did you know Seattle doesn't get much snow?! I'm disappointed! So you know what.. SCREW THE REAL WORLD. In this Fic, it snows in Seattle.**

**Don't forget to review. I write better after reading new reviews. =) **


	13. December 13th

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 25th!**

December 13th - The Past

(Freddie POV)

Today was the first holiday movie date of the season. After a few back-and-forths between Sam and I, we decided to make the movie National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I arrived at Carly's door right on time.

She opened it and smiled. Her hair was curled to perfection, naturally. She looked beautiful, as usual. I tried to be cool, to make us 'just friends.' To let this crush feeling head to the back of my mind. "Hey... ready for some National Lampoon's?"

"Yeah! But Sam texted and said she couldn't make it," she said, disappointed.

I felt bad that she was losing her best friend. "Man, she's really not around much anymore, is she?"

She frowned. "No, not really."

Luckily, Spencer appeared to save us from our depressing mood. "Hey, Freddie." He greeted me, several red boards and a deflated Santa in hand.

By now, this was all too normal to stare at. "Hi, Spencer."

Carly explained the odd objects he was carrying. "He's building Santa's sleigh."

I nodded with understanding. "Ah. Got the cookies?"

She was happy again. "Yep! And the cocoa water is on the stove."

"Sweet. I'll put the movie in." I walked over to the TV, thankful that it was just like old times.

When the water boiled, Carly stirred up three cups of hot chocolate, complete with whipped cream, and carried them over to the couch on a tray. There were also tree-shaped sugar cookies with chocolate icing.

I hit play on the remote and sipped the perfect cocoa.

"God, I can't believe it's only 12 days til Christmas!" She exclaimed.

"I know.. this month just seems to be flying by." Wow, December 13th. It's been three months since school started already.

She sighed. "And soon enough, it'll be the second semester, with no end in sight."

I tried to be positive. "Yeah, but at least we get mid-winter break."

"True... and my dad's going to come home in February." Joy was in her perfect voice. I knew she hadn't seen her dad in quite a while, so she must be excited.

"Really? That's awesome!"

She looked uncomfortable all of the sudden. "Mhm... can I ask you a really personal question?"

Shrugging, I replied, "I guess, what is it?

"Where is... your dad?" She said quickly.

I sighed, about to begin a hefty paragraph. "I'm not really sure. He was too reckless for my mom's taste, and they divorced when I was a baby. I haven't seen him since I was around eight months old. My mom won't even talk about him."

She looked down, a hint that she was feeling awkward. "Oh, I'm sorry. It must be tough, being a guy growing up without a dad. I'm surprised how I got so girly, being raised by men and all."

Well, now that we're on the subject of missing parents... "How old were you when you... lost... your mom?"

She wiped her eye. I instantly felt awful for asking such a question. "Four. It was Christmas Eve, so I was almost five." She was fighting back tears, recalling the painful memory.

"Sorry for bringing it up. That was kind of jerkish of me. I'm supposed to be making you feel better."

Carly put on a brave face like the tough girl she is. No, it's fine. I started the subject in the first place. Let's just watch the movie; it'll lighten the mood."

I put my arm around her, but she didn't complain. The first holiday movie date of 2009 began.

I had divulged a piece of my life to her that none of my other friends knew. And she'd opened up to me about the death of her mom. Maybe I'm over-analyzing things, but I'd say that's pretty best-friend worthy.

* * *

**Sorry for making the chapter so short =( The future chapters are going to be cut down in length a little. ****I hope you enjoyed Day 13 of 25 Days of Creddie! Please review, even if you hated it, and subscribe if you liked it! **


	14. December 14th

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 25th!**

December 14th - Seperate Ways

(Carly POV)

It was Monday morning again, sadly. But it won't be long until Christmas vacation... two whole weeks of nonstop nothing.

I tried to focus, as Freddie was patiently attempting to teach me the algebra lesson I didn't understand.

"Okay, so now you have to get x alone."

After staring at my paper for a fraction of a second, I did the work quickly. "And you get... x = 3.5?"

He smiled. "Perfect!"

I sighed in relief. "Thanks, I don't know what I would do without you."

Our eyes remained locked on each others, but then our silent moment was interrupted (again).

I saw a tall, curvy, older girl standing in front of us. Her eyes were drowning in makeup, and her tan was totally fake. The long brown waves cascading down her back made me gasp interally. It's the stalker from the SplashFace video! "Hey Freddie... What's up?"

Her voice matched her looks. The popular, gorgeous cheerleader.

Freddie furrowed his brows and looked back and forth between she and I, a confused look on his face.

"Uh, nothing, I guess. just helping Carly-"

"I'm gonna go," I spit out quickly. It doesn't look like I'm wanted anymore.

I stood up, threw my bag over my shoulder, and passed by Veronica without a sideways glance. That doesn't mean I didn't hear her vicious, stabbing words, though. "Bye, slut"

When Carly left, Veronica replaced her space beside me. She flipped her dark, lusterous hair back. "You looked so bored, sitting here next to her. I thought you might need rescuing."

* * *

(Freddie POV)

I shifted awkwardly in my seat. "Uh... rescuing how?" I had a feeling I wouldn't like where this is going.

My suspicions were confirmed when she winked at me. "You know. I have this closet reserved in my name."

Woah. No way. How does she get away with calling the sweetest girl in the world a slut, when she's trying to get me in a school closet?

"Um, ill pass... I gotta go meet up with Carly." Hopefully, that would allow me to escape her.

She shrugged. "Fine, stay with the cheating skank." Sarcasm was obvious in her tone. "I'll be around if you need me." She smiled.

I just got the hell out of there as fast as I could. I tried to track down Carly, but the warning bell rang much too soon.

* * *

(Carly POV)

I rushed away from the scene of the bitch as quickly as possible. Trying to be unnoticed and just get to class, I sunk my head down and pretended to be engrossed in a paper.

My efforts were not very successful, though, as I saw a guy named Garrett standing in front of me. "Hey Carly! You look down. What's wrong?"

Garrett was nice, but definitely not my type. The 9th grade track star was tall and lean, with a mess of brown hair atop his pale head. He'd been crushing hard on me since the beginning of the school year, and I'd tried to avoid him at all costs.

"Oh, I'm fine." I assured him. Like he wants to hear about my problems.

The weird thing is... he probably does. "I'm just a tad annoyed at someone right now. No worries." I tried my best to remain sweet and polite, even though I wanted to shove past him and get into my classroom.

I automatically rolled my eyes when I heard his boyish voice again. "Well, if you want to talk, I'm open." He laughed nervously. Typical crush behavior. I remember when Freddie was like that around me...

I smiled back at him. "Thanks Garrett, but no. I really should be getting to class."

Biting his bottom lip, he awkwardly stepped back. "All right... but remember, I'm here for you."

"Thanks," was all I said back, then I was gone.

Thank God that's over.

* * *

**Quick notice---I'm changing the rating to T because of language. Also, I'm going to end up finishing this story after Christmas. That really depresses me, but I can't do anything about it. It will be completed BY New Years Eve.**

**I hope you enjoyed Day 14 of 25 Days of Creddie! Please review, even if you hated it, and subscribe if you liked it! **


	15. December 15th

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up... or are they? 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 31st!**

December 15th - Mixed Emotions

(Carly POV)

I was kind of disappointed that Freddie was actually associating with this Veronica girl. She's clearly not his type. Or maybe I'm just jealous that he's giving another girl attention. Maybe I'm just an attention whore that can't bear the thought of him losing his little crush on me.

Or maybe... maybe I'm jealous for an entirely different reason.

"Hey Freddie, what's up?" I asked, cautiously beginning what I feared would be a complex conversation.

"Getting a head start on our English assignment." He replied monotonously.

I could have just left it at that and walked away, but no, I had to open my big mouth. "Ah... so um, what did Veronica want?"

My question caught his attention. He looked away from his paper and immediately got defensive.

"Nothing. Well, I guess she likes me or something. I have no idea why though. Did you know she's a cheerleader?"

"What's that supposed to mean? That you shouldn't be able to date a cheerleader? I know you get teased a lot, but I really don't think you're a nerd. You've changed so much since I've met you." This is it. Telling him that my feelings have changed.

"I know, but-never mind, it's stupid."

"What?" I was extremely eager for him to say something that would help my situation, even just a little.

"I just figured that if my best friend isn't even in my league, then a popular, rich cheerleader wouldn't be."

"You don't really believe that, do you? That I won't date you because you're not good enough or something? Because there's really no reason for me not to-" love you back.

Speak of the devil, the devil shall appear. "Hey Freddie!" Veronica greeted him in her perky, preppy cheerleader voice.

Freddie sighed. "Hey, Veronica."

"I was just wondering... would you like to go out with me tonight? I mean, there's like no homework so I figured we could go see a movie..."

"I guess so..." I swallowed hard and bit my lip as Sam appeared at my side.

"Great! I'll call you. I got your number off of Twitter." She spun around like a model on a runway and strutted down the hall.

Sam was clearly stunned. "Woah, what just happened here?"

Freddie looked equally as shocked. "I'm going out with the physco girl from SplashFace."

Trying to stay in the conversation without going crazy, I simply stated, "Wow, that came out of nowhere."

He removed himself from the daze he was in. "Yeah... so what were you saying?"

I tried to disguise my frown. No use in pouring out my heart now. "Nothing."

Sam glared at me, but before this near-disaster could continue, the warning bell rang.

When Freddie walked away, I was pulled to the popular bench near my locker. "Okay, spill. What's up with you? You should've seen your face when I walked up to you."

"It's nothing. Really. I'm fine." She wasn't convinced at all.

"You know you can tell me anything, don't you? No matter how... embarrassing it is?" I was worried she was starting to catch on.

"I know. But there's nothing to tell," I insisted. "We have to get to class."

* * *

**I was gonna make this chapter in Freddie's POV too... but nah. This is mainly about Carly and showing her feelings a bit more. I hope you enjoyed Day 15 of 25 Days of Creddie! Please review.... review.... review... it's not that hard!  
**


	16. December 16th

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up... or are they? 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 31st!  
**

December 16th - Lost

Tonight, I went out with a cheerleader. A pretty, popular cheerleader. And she told me we should do it again.

Who would've thought that Freddie Benson, official technology geek, would date a cheerleader? I was still in shock.

It was only 8:30 and there was pretty much nothing to do, so I decided to log on to Twitter and read fan comments. After reading about 20 of them that said, "What happened to Carly?" I was getting somewhat concerned. Is she okay?

Nothing was on her personal account, so I began to scan the official iCarly page. My scrolling finger immediately froze as I saw a re-Tweet from HamBaconSteak. _Guess what! TechBoy scored a date with a CHEERLEADER. Look outside.. i think pigs might be flying._

She didn't! Ugh, leave it to Sam to ruin a surreal day. But wait.. that doesn't solve the Carly issue. I continued inspecting the messages, but nothing about Carly came up. It's probably nothing.

I headed back to my page and hit the button. The first message was, "What happened to Carly? I thought you loved her!"

And... it clicked. People think I'm dating Carly. Normally, that would have made my day. However, it annoyed me today. Was iCarly that popular; were we like celebrities?

_I'm gonna put you first, I'll show you what you're worth, if you let me inside of your world..._

Text from Carly. '_Hey, how was ur date?'_

_'Pretty good. Twitter's been buzzing about how we broke up though.'_

_'I guess i better go watch Twilight and eat ice cream then. '_

Two seconds later, _'I g2g. C ya.'_

Wow. We just had a conversation, and I didn't even have the slightest desire to tell her I love her.

What's happening to me?!

* * *

(Carly POV)

When I got home from school, I rushed through my homework, munched on a salad, and watched reruns of Elephant Love. Spencer had actually gotten me kind of interested in this stupid show!

At around 5:30, I heard voices out in the hallway. I came to the conclusion that Freddie's mom was trying to get him to do something weird and he was fighting it.

Laughing to myself, I ran up the stairs and into my room. I powered up my PearBook, but there was nothing new online. After turning on my P-Home, I came to the conclusion that my nails needed to be painted. I chose a shiny red color, since it was festive. As my nails dried, I got lost in a book.

When I glanced at the clock again, it was already almost 9:00. Way to pass time, I thought. But I still didn't need to go to be for another hour and a half.

Freddie's probably home from his stupid date. I wonder how it went.

Maybe I should text him..._ 'Hey, how was ur date?'_

After about 30 seconds, my phone buzzed. _'Pretty good. Twitter's been buzzing about how we broke up though.'_

I'd forgotten all about our relationship. Thanks for reminding me. _'I guess i better go watch Twilight and eat ice cream then.' _I joked, trying to improve my mood by getting him to say something that will make me feel better.

After a little while, he didn't reply, so I gave up._ 'I g2g. C ya.'_

I flipped my phone shut and tossed it carelessly onto my pink bedspread. From the looks of it, any chemistry we had has exploded in my face.

Sighing, I grabbed my robe and slippers and set up a lavender vanilla bath. As I tried to relax and unwind from the day, one thought refused to leave my mind.

Freddie doesn't love me anymore.

* * *

***tear***

**I hope you enjoyed Day 16 of 25 Days of Creddie! Reviewers get a cookie =)  
**


	17. December 17th

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 31st (at midnight... so.... January 1st?)  
**

December 17th - Reconnecting

(Carly POV)

Every year, on the Friday before Christmas, there is a huge parade in Seattle. Anyone can be in it that wants to be; all you have to do is decorate something in lights. This is the Parade of Lights, and it's one of the best nights of the year. You meet up with friends, find a good spot, and keep warm with hot chocolate and popcorn. Hopefully, it will snow, which makes it even more beautiful.

The only thing missing is the perfect person to share it with. Sam has her boyfriend, Freddie his girlfriend, and even Spencer got a date for tonight. Normally, I would say it's no big deal and find someone to hang out with, but this is the Christmas parade, and I'm spending it without the people I care about most.

After walking through the monsterous crowd, I grabbed a hot chocolate and earned a spot right on the side of the street: perfect view. As the child in me waited impatiently for the festivities to begin, I slid my phone out of my pocket. I'm not sure what I was hoping for, but whatever it was, I did not find.

Soon after "Jingle Bells" began playing loudly from large speakers on a multi-colored pickup truck, someone grabbed my shoulder.

Startled, I nearly jumped five feet off the ground! Instead, I let out a strange cough-sounding noise and whipped around. Freddie!

"Hey!" I really felt like hugging him, but I figured that would be a little... strange.

"Hi.. Veronica is going to LA this weekend, and my mom is at a germ defense conference, so I'm alone."

"I don't suppose you want to hang out with your long lost friend?" Even though it had only been two days, it felt like ages. I missed my friends.

He put his now-muscular arm around my shoulders and sighed. "I missed you."

I laughed. "It's only been two days!"

"I know... but still. We've been inseparable for the past couple of weeks, and then I barely said two words to you for a couple of days. It was weird."

I'm surprised he even noticed our lack of conversation. I figured he'd be too wrapped up in his new relationship to realize. "Well in that case, I missed you too."

As the decorative floats began gliding down the snowy street, I wrapped my arms around him. This felt so right. Just like old times. Or... a-few-days-ago times.

Instead of keeping my thoughts to myself, I decided to try out what being open would do. "You have no idea how much this means to me. That even know things have changed, we can still be close like this."

He stared into my eyes, and the look in his own reminded me of that night at the Groovy Smoothie...

No. Freddie doesn't love me anymore. He just cares about me a lot, like I care about him, because we're best friends!

Except... being in his arms like this, I feel like there's something more.

* * *

**Okay, I know it was short, but wasn't it sweet? Can't you just picture those two, standing in a parade crowd, arms around each other? I can. **

**I HIT 100 REVIEWS!!! Happy New Year to me.  
**

**I hope you enjoyed Day 17 of 25 Days of Creddie! People who review on New Years Eve get good luck.**

**...  
**

**K, they don't. But still... review! =)**


	18. December 18th

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 25th!**

**OKAY... I SCREWED UP. It's not normal for a parade to be on a Thursday night. Well... my excuse is that it's held exactly one week before CHRISTMAS EVE. **

December 18th - Best Friends and Girlfriends

(Carly POV)

It is the morning after the Parade of Lights. It's also the last day of school before winter break.

Since Veronica had decided to skip two days of school and go on vacation early, I had Freddie all to myself. That probably sounds strange, but it's really tough to approach him when the queen is around.

"Hey Freddie!" I greeted happily.

He smiled when he saw me, a good sign. "Hey, what's up?" He was unusually cheerful, but I just figured the great Christmassy vibe was what did it.

"Nothing much, I'm just excited that school's almost over for 2009." It really was hard to believe. It seems like not long ago, Sam and I were filming the Rockin iCarly New Year's Eve 2008 Special.

"I know... man, where has the year gone?" Immediately feeling like this discussion would continue for quite a while, I thanked my lucky stars that I had Freddie in my life. What started out as a simple "hey" would always turn into something more, and that didn't happen with just anyone.

"It sure went by fast. I'm almost finished with my reflection paper. So much has happened since this time last year, hasn't it? School is more stressful, Sam ditched us, and... things have changed between us." I mentally scolded myself for even mentioning us. There was no us, he's moved on, and there is no use dwelling on the past. Reflections are usually happy, but this time, it was bittersweet.

"Yeah, I guess they have." We sat in silence for a moment, and I had no idea what to say, but then he spoke again. "I mean, everything has. And I think 2010 will be a good year."

Smiling at him, I agreed. We were, once again, trapped in our own little world. Ever since that dance, these moments have been coming more and more frequently. No words were said, no advancements were made, but it was still perfect.

However, as usual, we were interrupted far too soon. Freddie's phone began beeping; I recognized his picture mail tone.

After glancing at the screen, his expression turned cold. "What is it?" I asked,

Instead of speaking, he simply handed me his Pear Phone. I saw a picture of Veronica and some random guy embracing in front of a bustling city scene. "What's that supposed to be?!" I exclaimed. Why would she do that to Freddie?

"I have no idea." Even though he was clearly uncomfortable, he didn't seem very upset. I put my hand on his. "I'm sure it's nothing," I reassured him. "Just a 'wish you were here' pic or something like that."

"No, I don't think it is. Everyone's been telling me that she treats guys like library books, but I didn't listen. I'm not much of a sucker for rumors, due to obvious reasons, but they were true this time. I was just stupid for falling for it, and it's not even a big deal." I felt horrible for him, because he was way too good for her, but he still fell for her, and now his feelings have been hurt.

At the same time, I was glad. Glad that he would pour his heart out like that to me. He trusts me a lot, which gives me faith in our complicated relationship.

"You're better off without her. Trust me."

His half-frown turned into a weak smile, and he looked into my eyes again. "I know."

He tilted his phone sideways and typed a couple of words. "What did you write?"

Once again, I viewed his screen. '_I'm done with u.. this was a mistake in the 1st place. Enjoy ur Christmas.'_

"Good for you." It was one of those moments where we laughed at nothing funny.

We grabbed our books for first period and strode down the hall, staying as close together as possible without actually touching. No, things aren't like they used to be... but they are better.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed Day 18 of 25 Days of Creddie!**


	19. December 19th

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... ends December 25th!**

**Prepare for a super-short chapter. **

December 19th - Checkpoint

(Freddie's Journal)

December 2009, so far, has been the most complicated month of my life. It started out with me vowing to make Carly fall in love with me, but then there were a million twists, and then I was the one that ended up moving on. Now that my relationship with Veronica has ended, I realized that I'd never stopped loving Carly. I was under a cheerleader's spell, and when it comes down to true feelings, she was just a pretty face. And when it comes to Carly, she's beautiful in every way. Her heart, her personality, and yes, her looks. My December resolution was put on delay, but I'm 100% devoted to Carly once again, and I plan on making this happen.

* * *

(Carly's Journal)

As crazy as it is, I always thought the reason I despised Veronica is because I was jealous that Freddie was losing his crush on me. Turns out, it was my girl senses that led to my hatred of her. I had a tendency to know when girls are bad news, and once again, I experienced this sixth sense. She was a skunkbag, and I would've detested her even if she hadn't stole my... HE ISN'T MINE. He's been in love with me since middle school, but back then, he was a little nerdy kid that hopelessly tried to get my attention. Now, he's more mature, calm, and cool, he's tall, strong, and handsome, and he is much more comfortable with just being my friend. The new Freddie is definitely boyfriend material, aside from one detail. Part of me missed the old Freddie, the one that would beg for hugs and flood me with compliments.

I've sat in my room for hours this month, pondering what my feelings for him are. I've come to a conclusion. I won't be professing my love any time soon, but if we wind up under the mistletoe on Christmas Eve, I won't turn him down like I always have. It's not right to break Christmas tradition, after all.

* * *

**Sorry for the extreme shortness. But hey, now we know the inside story, and everything else will fall into place... right? Oh, sorry, Freddie's going to push Carly out of the way and get Sam under the mistletoe with him. Because he's completely in love with her and she loves him back. **


	20. December 20th

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... they're so close!**

December 20th - Good Luck

He came to support his best friend on the opening night of the musical she's starring in. But instead of just sitting down, he heads backstage for one final "good luck."

(Freddie POV)

She's sitting in a seat before a vanity, her eyes dusted in silver eye shadow, her cheeks a pale pink. She's always beautiful, but tonight, she was just.. stunning. Her luminous black hair was styled into soft curls, natural and perfect. Seeing her like this made me weak-kneed, but I put on my normal face and take a step toward her.

"Hey Carls." I rest my hand on the back of her chair.

"Freddie? What are you doing here?" She asks, putting in silver dangly earrings.

"Just thought I'd tell you one more time; you're gonna be awesome tonight." I smile at her, and she looks down, her "I don't know what to say, I'm flattered" face.

"Thanks, I could use a little reassurance. At the last rehearsal, Jake told me I 'got worse as I practiced more." Her voice got slightly lower in an annoyed attempt to sound like a guy.

"Jake... Crandall?" Why did he have to be in the play? Oh right, he's Super-Hot Flying Musician Boy. He must have taken singing lessons or something, cause there's no way he would've gotten the part with his old voice.

"Yeah, Jake Crandall. I know he used to be awful, but he's actually a pretty good singer now." She answered the question I asked myself. It's weird how we work like that.

"Attention: Scene One actors, please report to my office. Thank you."

"That's me! God, I'm so nervous. What if I do sound bad?"

"Relax, Carly. You're going to be fine." And then I too the risk I'd been pondering all night. I handed her a single red rose.

She looked at me, smiling. "Thank you." She said, in the sincerest voice I'd ever heard her use.

* * *

MY SINCEREST APOLOGIES FOR NOT UPDATING SINCE LAST YEAR.... literally. Lame joke, I know. But I'm really mad at myself for going so long without writing a word! It was the end of the semester, and you know how crazy it gets... bad excuse. But oh well, because I'M FINISHING IT RIGHT NOW!!!! Yay.

**Review, por favor. Gracias =)**


	21. December 21st

December 21st - Mistletoe Moment

(Carly POV)

Thank God for winter break. It's 10 am and I'm still lying in bed, buried deep beneath the multiple layers of blanket I hide under when it's cold. Then it occurs to me... it's the first official day of winter break! Happiness washed over me as I hopped out of bed and grabbed my cell phone to make plans for today. Walking down the stairs, I noticed something... unusual, but since unusual things always occur in my house, it was kind of expected.

Spencer was standing in the middle of the living room, surrounded by poinsettias (probably one hundred of them). Instead of the floor, I saw a sea of red and green plants, gold foil wrapped around the pots. "Um, what are you doing?" I laughed.

"Oh, just starting a new sculpture. The usual Monday morning routine. What are you up to today?" He pulled a screwdriver out of his pocket.

"Nothin so far. I was going to drink hot cocoa and watch Girly Cow while I texted, but maybe I'll just go up to the studio, since this TV's kinda unavailable."

"Well you have fun with that. I'll just get to work..." He pulled a ruler out of his pocket.

Some things are better left unknown.

I sat down on the red bean bag chair with my drink and donut, pulling my phone out of my sweatshirt pocket. As I twisted it sideways to text Sam, someone messaged me.

_'got any plans 4 2day? my mom wants 2 take me shopping. plz save me!"_

I didn't even have to read the name to know it was Freddie that sent me the SOS text. He's the only one I know with a mom that still tries to take him on shopping sprees. I was hoping to get some girl time with Sam today, but it looks like he needs me. Sam's probably got plans with her boyfriend anyway; she's still in that honeymoon phase. Besides, hanging out with Freddie will be great. He understands me just as well, if not better, than Sam does. I replied.

_'uh oh! GS in 10?'_

It only took him a moment to answer me. I could picture him sitting there, phone in hand, tapping his foot, waiting very impatiently to get an excuse to ditch his mom.

_'k. it's on me.'_

Crap, ten minutes?! That isn't enough time to shower.... or do anything else, for that matter. I stood up and ran down to my room.

What do I wear? What should I do with my hair? Makeup? Ugh, I look like a zombie. I haven't washed my hair in two days. Wait a second... why do I care?

I shrugged, pulling on the jeans I wore yesterday. I closed my eyes and picked a top, which ended up being a brown sweater that I'd just bought. Taking it a step further, I put on a turquoise necklace and earring set, brushed out my hair (which was wavy; the curls from last night were still half in), and applied mascara and bronzing face moisturizer. I misted on a few sprays of vanilla perfume, put matching lotion on my hands, slipped on brown clogs, and grabbed my purse. Eight minutes after beginning, I was looking decent enough to appear in public.

After walking across the street to the Groovy Smoothie, I pulled my phone out to call Freddie. Turns out, he was already waiting for me. With two drinks and two big cookies.

"I told my mom I had an emergency project meeting for chemistry. She wouldn't stop asking questions, so I ditched her as fast as possible." He explained as I pulled my coat off and sat down.

"Chocolate chip cookies? Nice!" They were my favorite, but I neglected to add that comment to my sentence, since I'm sure he was already aware."

"Yup, and the most delicious hot chocolate in Seattle. It's so great that this place opens for breakfast now."

* * *

(Freddie POV)

I looked at her, unable to help it because she was beautiful, but I tried not to stare too intently. After a couple of minutes which consisted of the two of us sipping cocoa and biting on cookies, someone tapped me on the shoulder.

It was T-Bo; he pointing upwards. My eyes followed his fingers, which ended at a bundle of green plant.

"You're at a mistletoe table," he informed us, smiling. "Do with that what you'd like." With one final pat on the shoulder, he walked away.

Carly was looking down, obviously humiliated. Like she would ever want to be caught under mistletoe with me. I decided to just leave the subject alone. There's no use trying, because I know I'll just fail, and to be honest, I'm really getting sick of it.

"It's just a stupid holiday tradition." I said out loud, but the comment was directed more towards myself than to her.

She looked at me for a moment before leaning towards me and planting her lips on my cheek.

After returning to her previous position, she smiled at me. Probably because I was sitting there doing nothing, like a total idiot. "Maybe, but you can't break a Christmas tradition." She told me.

* * *

**I only have to write two more chapters! This story will be completed tomorrow. This time, I promise. And stay tuned... a new fanfic is in the works.**


	22. December 22nd

**December 22 - iSave Freddie**

(Carly POV)

Just a few days before Christmas, Sam, Freddie, and I decided it would be fun to take a trip to the mall. Sam spent the night at my house, and Freddie arrived bright and early (well, for vacation; it was 9:00 am when I heard a knock at the door).

We started out at Skybucks, grabbing some caffeine and warmth for the long day ahead of us! After that, it was time for the Pear store. Freddie had gotten some early Christmas cash and was hoping to purchase the new PearPod Touch HD. While he was going to be occupied with his nerd entertainment, Sam and I decided it was time for a trip to Build-a-Bra. They had red and green sparkly straps in stock for the holiday season!

Ninety minutes later (thanks to Sam and my inability to choose between silver and gold), the three of us were heading to the food court again. This time, it was for an El Taco Buena semi-early lunch. We always ordered the Grande Bonita Quesadilla and split it. Then, of course, all of us chose our own Mexican dessert. Some things just can't be share...

The day was going wonderfully until we were on our feet again, walking in the direction of Bullseye (AN: lame parody of Target!), and a certain someone I didn't like decided it was a fantastic time to approach us.

"Hey Freddie!" She greeted us, well him, in her stupid perky cheerleader voice.

The look on his face told me he was searching for an excuse to get the hell out of there, and fast. But instead, I took action, doing something I'd probably wish I hadn't done later.

Putting my hand on his shoulder and giving Veronica an evil stare, I went into full-on fake girlfriend mode. "C'mon Freddie."

Instead of just walking away and having him follow me, my hand moved from his shoulder to his hand, yet never lost contact with his arm. Her eyes followed my hand as mine stayed locked on her.

If I were to see Freddie's face, I'd probably be laughing. He's probably got that adorable confused expression of his on. The expression that's his and his only. The one that makes your heart melt.... then again, most of his expressions could easily melt a girl. Not that they melt me, of course.

"Um, Freddie?" She twisted her hair in her hand as she looked at the two of us with an insulted look. It was clearly an act to make Freddie feel bad so he'd take her with open arms. And it was clearly not working, because I know girls, and I can easily ruin her lame attempt to win his heart.

"Um, he's taken." I answered her for him, mocking her obnoxious voice.

I gestured for Sam to start walking, and since I still held a tight grasp on Freddie, I just pulled him along. He's smart; he'll figure out what I'm doing.

As soon as we were out of her zone, he pulled me aside. "What was that?!" He asked/exclaimed. "It was like you could read her mind."

"Carly's only the greatest bitch beater ever. Once you get the hang of it, knowing what little the airheads are thinking gets pretty easy. I have yet to master it," Sam informed him, taking a bite of the chicken leg she picked up from SFC.

"Thanks, Carls. I don't know what I would've done without you."

"Psh, that's what I'm here for." Actually, I did it because I got completely green when I thought of Freddie and Veronica together. Now that I'd saved him from her evil, slutty force, I had nothing to worry about.

"Hey, you two made the cutest temporary fake couple," Sam teased. Hoping Freddie didn't hear, I elbowed her in the ribs.

Not that she lied, because we totally did!

* * *

**I'm finishing this story today. Woohoo! I'm still mad at myself for losing my chap-a-day schedule. It would've been much cooler that way.**


	23. December 23rd

Day 23 - Pie and The Notebook

(Carly POV)

The day before Christmas Eve, I woke up to the feeling of being shaken. Spencer was waking me up.

"It's vacation," I muttered under several layers of blankets.

"Carly, it's lunch time! Besides, your phone's been ringing on and off for almost an hour. I'm surprised it didn't wake you up."

"K, I'll be down in a few." I answered him, deciding I'd just check my phone then lay back down. That's the point of being on break! Sleeping all day and having fun all night.

I reached over in the direction of my night stand, grabbing my phone. Then I sat up and immediately felt awful. I was dizzy and my head started throbbing. I touched my forehead to discover that I was burning up. Great... sick two days before Christmas.

Whimpering I crawled back under the covers, laid on my side, and drew my legs close to my chest. I loved feeling cozy when I was sick. When I unlocked my phone, I discovered three new text messages.

_heyy carls! guess what. there's gonna be a PIE festival 2day Galinis. you HAVE to come with me. ...SamLuvsHam..._

Ugh... Galini's pie didn't even sound appetizing to me. I MUST be sick.

_happy christmas eve eve =) ...Freddie..._

Aw, typical Freddie. He's so sweet.

_IT STARTS IN 20 MINUTES! whatchu up 2 kid? ...SamLuvsHam..._

I had to decline her offer. Besides, the text was sent almost an hour ago. She's probably cleaned out their inventory by now.

_Sorry =( I woke up feeling like crap. I guess i have the flu or somethin. Enjoy some awesome dessert for me._

One last thing before I lay back down to be unconscious for another five hours: updating the Facebook status:

Carly Shay is dealing with the flu.. yeah, right before Christmas =(

I let out a disappointed sigh, placed my phone back on my bedside, and closed my eyes.

My eyelids fluttered open again almost four hours later. It's three in the afternoon and I haven't gotten out of bed yet! I checked my phone again. Several notifications from Facebook and a text.... from Freddie.

prepare yourself. my mother was reading my facebook homepage and saw ur sick. Freddie

Oh, God. Just what I need.... a physcotic, overprotective mother coming to nurse me back to health. Or death.

After taking two minutes to slowly stand up and go to the bathroom, I heard a knock at my door. Perfect.

"Come in," I said, even though I really wanted to say "LEAVE ME ALONE! I'M FINE! GO GIVE FREDDIE A TICK BATH!" My voice was crackly from sleeping so long and from being congested.

"It's just me," I heard a deep voice say. Definitely not Ms. Benson.

"Freddie? What are you doing here?"

"My mom made you her "secret recipe" chicken soup. It's supposed to destroy germs in ten minutes. But I've had it before, and the only thing it destroys is your ability to ever eat soup again. She was gonna bring it over here and then do a bunch of other creepy stuff to you, but I 'accidentally' dropped my toothbrush in the toilet and asked her to disinfect it."

"Well.... thanks. I think." I said, somewhat confused by his rambling.

"Trust me, you should be thanking me. Especially because I brought you this..." He pulled a plate out of a brown paper grocery bag. It was a triangle wrapped in plastic. "Galini's chocolate pie. It was the last piece." Suddenly, my appetite increased as I studied the delicious piece of food.

"Oh my God, Freddie, thank you. Seeing that made me hungry again," I took the plate from his hands as he reached into the bag again.

"Well, Galini's magic tends to do that to a person. Besides, I didn't think you'd want this," He gestured to the thermos he'd taken out of his grocery sack. It was reddish orange and incredibly chunky looking. Just the thought of actually putting that into my body made me nauseous, but after glancing at my pie again, I was all better.

"Spencer left a couple of hours ago; he told my mom to keep you company. So... I brought The Notebook," He waved the DVD in front of my face. "You up for a movie?"

He's so thoughtful. I'm sure Griffin wouldn't have known that was my favorite money. Or that chocolate was my favorite pie. Heck, he probably would've avoided me and my germs today. But not Freddie... he walked right in to hang out with me while I was under the weather.

"Yeah, you can go put it in. I'll be right down." I headed to the bathroom, and after seeing myself in the mirror, I was kind of shocked. My hair was a mess, my cheeks red, my eyes dull and tired-looking. I straightened up my pajamas, pulling on a purple sweatshirt and wrapping a lime green fleece blanket around me. I splashed cold water on my face, hoping it would put some life back into my appearance. It helped, but only a little. Oh well, it's just Freddie.

I headed downstairs just as the movie began to play. A glass of water and my pie were sitting on the coffee table, and Freddie had just planted himself on the couch. I took a seat next to him, curling up into a ball, similar to how I was sleeping.

I was surprised when he leaned forward, grabbed the plate and glass, and handed them to me. "Gotta stay hydrated," he reminded me. "One of the many things you learn while living with a crazy nurse."

I smiled at him and took a bite of magical pie. After twenty minutes of The Notebook, my pie was gone, my glass half empty, and my head on his shoulder. Suddenly, I was feeling a lot better.

* * *

**REVIEWWWWWWWWW! You know you want to click that green and white button. Hey, green and white.... GO MSU!!**


	24. December 24th

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie... wow, it's almost over!  
**

December 24th - Sleigh Ride

(Carly POV)

Finally, it is Christmas Eve. As I look out the window, the street lights capture picture-perfect flurries. It's cold and windy out there, but inside, it's warm and smells of pumpkin pie and turkey. Freddie's mom took over the cooking long ago because Spencer didn't know how to properly sanitize the bird. Sam is spending Christmas with her extended family, so it's just Freddie and I. He's sitting next to me and I can feel the electricity filling the gap between our arms. As I lean towards him, caught up in the moment of holiday cheer, Spencer enters to announce that our feast is ready.

The food was fantastic; I'll give Ms. Benson credit for one thing: she really knows how to cook. Now, we're gathered around the tree, ready to open gifts. When I was younger, this was my favorite part, but tonight, I missed sitting there watching the snow next to my best friend, the one who'd do anything for me.

Spencer and I exchange one gift on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas Day, and I got a PearShot digital camera. Freddie's mom gave me a gift card to the mall, which shocked me. I expected something anti-bacterial. Apparently, what Freddie's giving me is waiting outside. I grab my coat, slip on my Uggs, and prepare to face the freezing cold wind.

Lewbert yelled at us to get off his just-mopped floor, but we ignore him, as usual. As we step outside, I inhale the crisp night air and take in the sight in front of me. There are two white draft horses standing in front of a red sleigh. Surprisingly, a tear falls from my face.

"Freddie, what is this?" I choke out.

"Your horse-drawn sleigh ride. Merry Christmas, Carly." He wrapped his arms around me and embraced me tightly. "I know you just want to be friends, but I don't care. I love you, which means I'd do anything to make you happy, no matter what you feel."

He grabs my hand and helps me onto the sleigh. I'm shivering, although I try to hide it, because I don't want this magical moment to end.

All I hear is the sound of hooves on the snow-covered pavement and the jingling of bells. _This is too good to be true_, I think. No guy I've ever dated would have done this for me.

After a few moments pass, the steady sounds grow boring. Attempting to thank Freddie for this insane gift, I barely mutter a, "Freddie, I-" but then realize I'm at a loss for words. Shaking my head, I gently rest my head on his shoulder. He wraps his arm around my shoulders, and it shields me from the fierce wind, but that was nothing compared to the tingles I got as I felt his breath on my face. I didn't know I could feel this much; I don't even know how to describe what I felt. It was just... magic. And that's when I knew that I love him.

* * *

**Okay, I loved writing this. I actually wrote it before I wrote chapters 20-23, and I was dying to post this. I was getting sick of them NOT BEING TOGETHER!!!**

**By the way-how great was iSaved Your Life?!?!?! How awesome is Freddie?!?!??! He's so caring and mature, letting Carly go like that. I am writing a post-iSYL fanfic, by the way.**


	25. December 25th

**As the snow falls, the mercury drops, and the stores sell, Carly and Freddie are heating up. 25 Days of Creddie...ENDING NOW!  
**

**Prepare for major shortness... but it's cute!**

December 25th - Magic

(Carly POV)

I'm sitting here in Freddie's arms, living this fairytale moment, and my heart is beating at a fast, frantic pace. I don't know what to do, so I just hold him tighter and pray that this moment will go on forever. The thing is, it won't, not unless I tell him how I feel. So I better do it quick.

"Freddie," I whispered. "I love you." I turned my head up to face him as he gently presses his lips to my forehead.

I pull away, then push my lips against his. Fireworks, that's what I felt. That's what you're supposed to feel when you're with the one you truly love. And I was.

As I woke to the sun shining through my window, the thought rushed into my mind: It's Christmas! And... last night. I kissed Freddie. I love him. We're together.

Smiling to myself, I shove my feet into my slippers and grab my phone. One missed alert. A text, from Freddie.

_12:00 am, December 25 2009; Freddie_

_merry christmas. i love you.  
_

I sighed. This is too perfect. Just like the day I was sick, with something I'm sure he'd been dying to add on the end. Oh God, wait until I tell Sam...

* * *

(Freddie POV)

My arm is around Carly Shay, we're on a fairytale sleigh ride, and she's practically crying because I gave her the perfect gift.

"Freddie," I could barely hear her say, "I love you." My heart jumps as I hear her say the words I've been waiting for since the 6th grade. Instead of being pushy, I did something I knew she thought was sweet and romantic: I kissed her forehead.

Shockingly, she pushed me, and before I knew it, our lips were together. I was kissing Carly Shay, my dream girl.

We got back from our little outing at 10:15 pm. I couldn't sleep after what had just happened, so I locked myself in my room and listened to Christmas music. At exactly midnight on Christmas Day, I texted her almost the same thing I had for the previous two days. Only this time, I added something else...

_12:00 am, December 25 2009; Freddie_

_merry christmas. i love you._

I smiled as I pressed send, knowing that those three words meant way more than they would have a month ago. Day 25: Carly loves me.

* * *

**It's over!!! Awwwwwwww let me know what you thought of this. I know it's really short, but it's pretty freaking fluffy, if you ask me. And subscribe to me... author alert... I'll be writing lots more stories in the future!!**


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